. >> bob samuelson, "washington post". i think the proposals are to reduce the marine corps by 20,000, and the army by 80,000 from their peaks, and there's much speculation thamuch speculr cuts in the pentagon budget would reduce the additional cuts in both the army and the marines. if the marines was put in a position where it had to occupy and protected the oil field of the persian gulf for an extended period of time say five or six years are those forces adequate to do the job? >> one of the reasons at least i was able to get through as chairman is to try not to speculate much on hypothet speculate much on hypothetical. the reductions in both the army and the marine corps have been in the budget now, and i think they are in the 13 budget, so basically they have been on the hill, the beginning of them they have been on the hill for the better part of a year and they are reductions both of chiefs of those to services and the chairman also. clearly, and i did as well when i was the chairman over year ago, there was a need